Thirty-first government of Israel
# Thirty-first government of Israel

The thirty-first government of Israel was formed by Ehud Olmert on 4 May 2006, following Kadima's victory in the March elections. His coalition initially included Labor, Shas and Gil, and held 67 of the 120 seats in the Knesset. The 11-seat Yisrael Beiteinu joined the coalition in November 2006, but left on 16 January 2008 in protest at peace talks with the Palestinian National Authority. With the inclusion of the Labor Party's Raleb Majadele as a Minister without Portfolio on 29 January 2007, it became the first Israeli cabinet to have a Muslim minister. The makeup of the coalition resulted in a center-left government.

The government held office until Benjamin Netanyahu formed the thirty-second government on 31 March 2009, following elections the month before.

## Cabinet members

| Position | Person | Party |
| - | - | - |
| Prime Minister | Ehud Olmert | Kadima |
| Vice Prime Minister | Shimon Peres (until 13 June $2007)^1$ | Kadima |
| Vice Prime Minister | Haim Ramon | Kadima |
| Acting Prime Minister | Tzipi Livni | Kadima |
| Deputy Prime Minister | Ehud Barak (from 18 June $2007)^2$ | Labor Party |
| Deputy Prime Minister | Avigdor Lieberman (30 October 2006 – 18 January 2008) | Yisrael Beiteinu |
| Deputy Prime Minister | Shaul Mofaz | Kadima |
| Deputy Prime Minister | Amir Peretz (until 18 June $2007)^2$ | Labor Party |
| Deputy Prime Minister | Eli Yishai | Shas |
| Minister of Agriculture | Shalom Simhon | Labor Party |
| Minister of Communications | Ariel Atias | Shas |
| Minister of Defense | Amir Peretz (until 18 June $2007)^2$ | Labor Party |
| Minister of Defense | Ehud Barak (from 18 June $2007)^2$ | Labor Party |
| Minister of Development of the Negev and Galilee | Shimon Peres (until 13 June $2007)^1$ | Kadima |
| Minister of Development of the Negev and Galilee | Ya'akov Edri (from 4 July 2007) | Kadima |
| Minister of Diaspora, Society and the fight against Anti-semitism | Isaac Herzog (from 21 March 2007) | Labor Party |
| Minister of Education, Culture and Sport | Yuli Tamir | Labor Party |
| Minister of the Environment | Gideon Ezra | Kadima |
| Minister of Finance | Avraham Hirschson (until 3 July 2007) | Kadima |
| Minister of Finance | Roni Bar-On (from 4 July 2007) | Kadima |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | Tzipi Livni | Kadima |
| Minister of Health | Ya'akov Ben-Yezri | Gil |
| Minister of Housing and Construction | Meir Sheetrit (until 4 July 2007) | Kadima |
| Minister of Housing and Construction | Ze'ev Boim (from 4 July 2007) | Kadima |
| Minister of Immigrant Absorption | Ze'ev Boim (until 4 July 2007) | Kadima |
| Minister of Immigrant Absorption | Ya'akov Edri (4 July 2007 – 14 July 2008) | Kadima |
| Minister of Immigrant Absorption | Eli Aflalo (from 14 July 2008) | Kadima |
| Minister of Industry, Trade and Labour | Eli Yishai | Shas |
| Minister of Internal Affairs | Roni Bar-On (until 4 July 2007) | Kadima |
| Minister of Internal Affairs | Meir Sheetrit (from 4 July 2007) | Kadima |
| Minister of Internal Security | Avi Dichter | Kadima |
| Minister of Justice | Haim Ramon (until 22 August 2006) | Kadima |
| Minister of Justice | Tzipi Livni (29 November 2006 – 7 February 2007) | Kadima |
| Minister of Justice | Daniel Friedmann | Not an MK |
| Minister of National Infrastructure | Binyamin Ben-Eliezer | Labor Party |
| Minister of Pensioner Affairs | Rafi Eitan | Gil |
| Minister of Religious Affairs | Yitzhak Cohen (from 14 January 2008) | Shas |
| Minister of Science, Culture and Sport | Ophir Pines-Paz (until 1 November $2006)^3$ | Labor Party |
| Minister of Science, Culture and Sport | Raleb Majadele (from 21 March 2007) | Labor Party |
| Minister of Strategic Affairs | Avigdor Lieberman (30 October 2006 – 18 January 2008) | Yisrael Beiteinu |
| Minister of Tourism | Isaac Herzog (until 21 March 2007) | Labor Party |
| Minister of Tourism | Yitzhak Aharonovich (21 March 2007 – 18 January 2008) | Yisrael Beiteinu |
| Minister of Tourism | Ruhama Avraham (from 14 July 2008) | Kadima |
| Minister of Transportation and Road Safety | Shaul Mofaz | Kadima |
| Minister of Welfare and Social Services | Ehud Olmert (until 21 March 2007) | Kadima |
| Minister of Welfare and Social Services | Isaac Herzog (from 21 March 2007) | Labor Party |
| Minister without Portfolio | Ruhama Avraham (4 July 2007 – 14 July 2008) | Kadima |
| Minister without Portfolio | Ami Ayalon (24 September 2007 – 16 December 2008) | Labor Party |
| Minister without Portfolio | Eitan Cabel (until 4 May 2007) | Labor Party |
| Minister without Portfolio | Yitzhak Cohen (until 14 January 2008) | Shas |
| Minister without Portfolio | Ya'akov Edri (until 4 July 2007) | Kadima |
| Minister without Portfolio | Raleb Majadele (29 January – 21 March 2007) | Labor Party |
| Minister without Portfolio | Meshulam Nahari | Shas |
| Deputy Minister of Defense | Efraim Sneh (30 October 2006 – 18 June 2007) | Labor Party |
| Deputy Minister of Defense | Matan Vilnai (from 2 July 2007) | Labor Party |
| Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs | Majalli Wahabi (from 29 October 2007) | Kadima |

$^1$ Peres left office when elected President.

$^2$ Barak replaced Peretz when he defeated him in the party leadership election.

$^3$ Pines-Paz resigned from the government in protest at the inclusion of Yisrael Beiteinu.

